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The 49ers might lead the league in one obscure category: long snappers.

San Francisco signed former Browns long snapper Ryan Pontbriand to a one-year contract Thursday, making the two-time Pro Bowler the third long snapper on the team’s roster. The Niners signed long snapper Kyle Nelson, 25, in January.

The moves seem curious since Brian Jennings, 35, who was named to his second Pro Bowl this past season, has been a stalwart at the position since the Niners selected him in the seventh round of the 2000 draft.

General manager Trent Baalke said the moves were about creating competition and not about dissatisfaction with the team’s longest-tenured player.

“Like every other position on our team, and we’ve had this same conversation with Brian, there’s going to be competition at every position,” Baalke said. “How long we stay with three (long snappers) remains to be seen. But we’re going to always put our players in a position where they’re going to have to compete for their roles.”

Pontbriand, 32, played for 49ers special teams coach Brad Seely for two seasons in Cleveland. A Pro Bowler in 2007 and ’08, he was released in November after a series of errant snaps.

Williams gets vote of confidence: The status of wide receiver Kyle Williams with the team doesn’t appear to be in question after he had two critical fumbles on punt returns in a 20-17 overtime loss to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game.

Baalke, who selected Williams with a sixth-round pick in the 2010 draft, said the son of White Sox general manager Kenny Williams has the background to bounce back from his gaffes.

“He knows how to handle himself,” Baalke said. “I was proud of how he handled himself afterwards. I have no doubt that Kyle’s going to come back hungrier and even more prepared than he was a year ago.”

Harbaugh was invited by his brother-in-law, Indiana basketball coach Tom Crean, to sit on the Hoosiers’ bench during their 75-56 win over North Carolina Central in Bloomington. Harbaugh volunteered to serve as the team’s student manager and carried the team’s chairs during timeouts.

“Great experience,” Harbaugh said. “Never sat on the bench with a basketball team. And it was a great honor to be there and to be in the locker room before and after the game and support the Indiana Hoosiers, who are near and dear to our hearts as a family.”